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War of the Pines
The War of the Pines was an armed conflict taking place in the Lewhorn Valley during the Era of Clans between 1360 BC and 1350 BC, fought by five different clans in a general approach that could be described as "E Baint Lu Trasn" (prehistoric An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine) versus the territories surrounding it.NicFhuaigh, M.F.T (1965). "Chapter IV: War of the Pines" in Conflicts in the prehistory of the Lewhorn Valley. Crannchóiste: University of Rockall Publishing Agency.Madrugheiran (date unknown). War of the Pines. Found in the University of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine library. Five clans fought in the war, with the Taliea Clan controlling E Baint Lu Trasn, under attack by the Marquonias Clan from Maliativa (current-day An Iméallean na nCháteair) to the west, the Vuignis Clan from Lu Nu (current-day Gubhanfhaoirseachéigh and Méasa) to the north, the Cámal Clan from Derning (current-day Méasa na Déarnuiardh) in the east, and the Geillian Clan from Iongun (current-day Iònnegéadhna) to the south. The war resulted from earlier insurgencies amongst the population of the Taliea territory, who were becoming increasingly unhappy with the Talieas' authoritative government, as well as hostilities carried out by the Taliea clan on other clans' territories. The basis for a revolt and by extent the full war was the lynching of a female Taliea clan member in 1362 BC,NicFhuaigh (1965). "Chapter III: Civil unrest under the Taliea Clan". which was the first indication to the clans in the surrounding territories that the Taliea's subjects had turned against their leaders.Muirread-Léaigh, C.C.L.T. (2005). Life under the Taliea Clan. Crannchóiste: University of Rockall Publishing Agency. This prompted the four clans directly bordering Taliea territory to band together and carry out a campaign attacking the Talieas from all sides but the sea.NicFhuaigh, M.F.T. (1976). Cooperation between clans during the War of the Pines. Crannchóiste: University of Rockall Publishing Agency. There was however heavy resistance from the Talieas, who were strategically superior, holding for ten years in defence of their territory before being captured and executed by the Marquonias Clan in 1350 BC.Cáildeauirr, N. (1990). "Chapter 11: Capture of E Baint Lu Trasn" in The Marquonias Clan. Léacheannelochián: University of Léacheannelochián Publishers. The War of the Pines was the first of the Great Wars of the Lewhorn ValleyÉilléin, E.E. (2002). "Part I: The First Great War" in The Great Wars of the Lewhorn Valley. Crannchóiste: University of Rockall Publishing Agency.. With around 1550 military casualties and an unknown number of civilians casualties it is to this day the conflict with the highest number of reported casualties on the eastern half of the island of Rockall.Éilléin, E.E. (2005). Gains and losses in the War of the Pines. Crannchóiste: University of Rockall Publishing Agency. It was the most lethal conflict on the entire island until the 2013 Constitutional crisis of An Móir Leautheinn, which became the deadliest conflict on Rockall if once counts the post-conflict executions as casualties. Name and symbols The name of the War of the Pines (Rockallian: Cóig na nphéinean; Fernolian: Rùill nan Pinnidhin; Ancient Rockallian: Cegbíninn) originates from the fact that all five clans had at least some form of representation of a on their . The name came into popular use around 1850, when historians of the University of Rockall and the University of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine started researching ancient documents that could be found in their libraries and published their findings to the world.Feá, L.C.A.C. (1986). Contemporary research into the prehistory of the Lewhorn Valley. Léacheannelochián: University of Léacheannelochián Publishers. All clans fought under their own coat of arms, thus there were five coats of arms in use despite there being only two factions to the conflict. On the E Baint Lu Trasn side, the Taliea a coat of arms Azure a pine Or was used; on the surrounding territories' side, the coats of arms per pale Argent and Sable, two pines palewise the chief pine inverted counterchanged (Marquonias Clan), per fess sapiny Or and Azure (Geillian Clan), Ermine a pine Gules (Vuignis) and Tierced per fess Or, Vert and Argent, with sapiny upper line and wavy lower line (Cámal) were used. Soldiers and mercenaries fought using a shield bearing the coat of arms of their associated clan. In addition, divisions of soldiers would carry the respective arms on a standard along their division's standard, and standards carrying the arms would be placed along the territorial divisions between clans. These territorial markers could reach impressive heights and sizes of up to twenty metres high and two metres wide,Téibh, C.G., Áimmeaightheain, R., Kelly, C.D. & Goodenough, R. (1975). Excavations along Ancient Territorial Divisions in the Lewhorn Valley: A Look into Prehistoric Border Security. Crannchóiste: University of Rockall Publishers. and would have dominated the landscape throughout the war. Why each clan bore a representation of a pine on their coat of arms is unknown. Several hypotheses exist, the most likely of which are that pines held an important position within the general religion of the Lewhorn Valley at the time,NicFhuaigh, M.F.T. & Kelly, C.D. (1972). "Chapter II: Religious importance of importance of the pine" in Why Pines?. Crannchóiste: University of Rockall Publishing Agency. or that pine trees were simply the most common plant to be found in the Lewhorn Valley and were thus the most associable symbol for the inhabitants of the valley.NicFhuaigh & Kelly (1972). "Chapter III: Overabundance of pines". Summary of events The Taliea Clan assumed control of the town of E Baint Lu Trasn and its surrounding territory after defeating and forcing into exctinction the Eltavira Clan around 1400 B.C., whose numbers had been consistently dwindling due to an as of now still unidentified disease or infection.Cáildeauirr, N. (1985). "Chapter 21: The downfall" in The Eltavira Clan. Léacheannelochián: University of Léacheannelochián Publishers. Their take-over of the Eltavira territory was reportedly bloody and violent, with many smaller communities decimated or massacred as the Taliea forces took over.Mellin etc., F.R.F. (2010). "Chapter II: Taliea Take-over of E Baint Lu Trasn" in Massacres of the Lewhorn Valley. An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine: University of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Publishing Agency. This violent take-over led to resentment amongst the population of the Talieas' territory, as well as amongst the more peaceful clans surrounding it. The Taliea Clan was oppressive and authoritarian, setting up a brutal regime of intimidation during its fifty-year length. This included a variation of the for male members of the Taliea Clan,Cáildeauirr, N. (1987). "Chapter 3: Droit du seigneur" in The Taliea Clan. Léacheannelochián: University of Léacheannelochián Publishers. de facto enslavement of various members of society (men mostly for manual labour on the Taliea Clan's lands, women mostly as prostitutes),Báidhreaigheill, M.M. (2012). Slavery in the Lewhorn Valley: the Hardships of Living under the Rule of the Taliea Clan. An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine: University of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Publishing Agency. and campaigns against border villages in neighbouring territories belonging to the other clans, where inhabitants were in many cases raped, enslaved or executed, with few survivors.Téibh, C.G. & Áimmeaightheain, R. (1967). "Chapter VII: Campaigns across borders under Taliean Rule" in Borders in the Prehistoric Lewhorn Valley. Crannchóiste: University of Rockall Publishing Agency. In response to their tyranny, a growing resistence movement formed within the territory, indirectly supported by the surrounding clans, which carried out sabotages, freed slaves and helped them move to neighbouring clans' territories, and obstructed members of the Taliea Clan in their daily routines. The resistence movement enjoyed growing support amongst the general population, but also faced staunch opposition from the Taliea forces, who would execute any resistence member once captured.Cáildeauirr (1987). "Chapter 8: Resistance amongst the population". As discontentment grew amongst the general population, open hostility against the Taliea Clan became commonplace, especially peripheral villages of the territory. The increasing hostility eventually culminated in the lynching of a female Taliea clan member in 1362 BC, in the village of Malt ac Lu, which has been located as lying in the western part of the current-day Ar fúd nan Áibhainn neighbourhood of Léacheannelochián.Dáill, T.A. & NicMhúidhreaigh, C.L. (2006). Ancient Villages of the Lewhorn Valley: Excavations in Léacheannelochián. Léacheannelochián: University of Léacheannelochián Publishers. When the news of this occurence reached the surrounding clans, it became clear to them that the discontentment with Taliea leadership had become so tangible that they would enjoy broadly popular support by taking over the territory. They banded together, spending two years to prepare their forces to invade the territory and eliminate the clan. The Taliea Clan, sensing an uprising and an external attack, did the same, preparing their forces and intensifying border patrols, as well as intensifying their control over the population.Cáildeauirr (1987). "Chapter 9: Lynching and preparation". The war started in 1360 BC with the Battle of Líc Tíga, near the current-day Léic Téigh neighbourhood of Crannchóiste, where the forces of the Taliea and Cámal Clans clashed in the Líc Tíga Marshes, a battle which lasted five years and saw the Taliea forces slowly being decimated. Within a week after the commencement of Líc Tíga, the Geillian Clan attacked from the south, starting the Battle of the Plains, followed by a slow advance into Taliea territory after eight months before being driven back again to only controlling the plains, where they stayed in a stalemate for four years. Both battles "officially" ended when the Vuignis Clan attacked from the north, starting the Battle of Ròiman Hollow. This meant that the Taliea Clan had to send more forces to the northern territorial border, where they had weakened their defences in order to be better able to fend off the other two clans. Ròiman Hollow allowed the Cámal and Geillian forces to advance towards E Baint Lu Trasn again, however, they once again got stuck due to the Taliea tactic retreat, which centralised the Taliean defences and successfully fended off the advancing armies. This created a stalemate that lasted three years. In 1352 BC, the Marquonias Clan advised the other clans to "tactically retreat", lengthening the lines of battle in what is now known as the Battle of the Three Winds. With the retreat, the Talieas started to regain most of their territory, but due to the presence of offending forces in the south, north and east from the other three clans, most of their military power was directed towards those borders, leaving the western borders virtually unprotected. The Marquonias Clan took advantage of this weakness in the Talieas' defences, and attacked as night fell in the Attack of Uisceleathean Hollow, defeating easily the few Taliea forces that were present in the area and reaching E Baint Lu Trasn within a few hours, where the Battle of E Baint Lu Trasn began. The Battle of E Baint Lu Trasn lasted approximately a week and saw many of the townfolks siding with the Marquoniases' forces as they attacked the Talieas. Throughout the week, the Marquonias forces captured and killed many of the members of the Taliea Clan, and the battle ended with the remaining Taliea Clan members fleeing northwards in an obscure manner, where they sought refuge in the mountains. A number of their forces followed them, some of which were killed when they ran into Vuignis forces as they fled northwards. The Marquoniases assumed control over the former Taliea territory, making it the capital of their overall territory that also included their ancestral lands to the west. The last battle of the war took place in 1370 BC, when a small Taliea army, including the remaining clan members, invaded a number of small villages in the Marquoniases' ancestral territory. The small army was defeated and the Clan members by the Marquoniases in the Battle of the Lilies, after which the Talieas were executed, forcing the clan into extinction. Máidt, T.C.C.M. (1966). Battles of the War of the Pines. Crannchóiste: University of Rockall Publishing Agency. Origins of the conflict Methods of control of the Taliea Clan The Taliea Clan was unpopular already at the commencement of their rule over the territory, having taken it forcefully and unrightfully from the Eltavira Clan, which was at the time still nonextinct. This forceful take-over went against the general unwritten laws and conventions that governed the Lewhorn Valley at the time, and soured the relations bewteen the Taliea Clan and the surrounding clans that held a leadership position in their territories.Kelly, C.D. (1979). Animosity towards the Taliea Clan. Crannchóiste: University of Léacheannelochián Publishers. The Taliea Clan maintained an rule over its citizens, governing many aspects of their lives very directly and indiscriminately. They also set exceptionally high taxes and would imprison or execute anybody who could not pay them. Citizens could be stopped and searched wherever and whenever, and if a citizen was found to be in possession of a forbidden substance or object, he or she would be apprehended (or depending on the nature of the object or substance, executed) on the spot.Kelly, C.D. and Mellin etc., C.C. (1984). Taliean Authoritarianism: 1984 in the 14th Century before Christ. Crannchóiste: University of Léacheannelochián Publishers. It is assumed that this situation was a major cause of discontentment amongst the subjected citizens. Treatment of citizens in the city centre of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine are the longest continually existing garden in the world, and have been proven to be tended for by slaves employed by the Taliea Clan.]] The Taliea Clan treated its subjects very poorly and inhumanely to the point that many of them living in the peripheral communities fled to neighbouring clans' territories. One famous form of maltreatment used by the Taliea Clan was a variation on the concept of , where male members of the Taliea Clan reserved the right to engage in sexual intercourse with any of their female subjects as they pleased without the need of the female subject's consent. Male members of the clan would reportedly go out as evening fell and search for girls and women with whom they wished to spend the night, who then had no choice but to comply. It is unclear how frequently this happened, though written sources from the time indicate it was frequent enough as to not be considered unusual. Another, more frequent and oft-reported form of maltreatment was the of many of the subjects, especially dissenters and inhabitants living in the general periphery of the territory. Male dissenters or peripheral peasants were often forced to work long hours on the Taliea Clan's estates, in positions that could range from as calm as tending to the Clan's estates' rose gardensÁibherléicig, T.R.C.D.F. (1932). The Rose Gardens of Rosanne. An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine: University of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Publishing Agency. to as crippling and often lethal as continuous menial labour working long days with barely any food or water on the fields or in .AcSéaig, D. (1970). The History of the Crannchóiste Quarry. Crannchóiste: University of Rockall Publishing Agency. Women were often employed as or , though these two jobs could be considered interchangeably within the context of their employment by the Talieas. Maids were required to clean and keep tidy the houses and estates of the Taliea Clan, whilst prostitutes were required to make themselves available to the general population to bring in more revenue for the Clan. Prostitutes that did not bring in enough money would often be beaten or simply left to die in imprisonment, which is often considered to have been a de facto form of execution.Báidhreaigheill, M.M. & Mellin, etc., C.C. (2008). "Chapter 5: Slaves" in The Taliea Clan's Treatment of Women. Léacheannelochián: University of Léacheannelochián Publishers. Extraterritorial invasions The Taliea Clan systematically carried out attacks into neighbouring clans' territories, ravaging and destroying small communities there. The affected inhabitants of the villages were either executed or brought back into Taliea territory where they were employed as slaves. Younger women and girls were often raped by multiple soldiers before being brought back to Taliea territory, or were simply left for dead if they resisted too much.Báidhreaigheill & Mellin, etc. (2008). "Chapter 9: Extraterritorials." These invasions started becoming more infrequent as the surrounding clans started upping their military presence in peripheral communities and with it their border patrols, making invasions less profitable and more difficult for the Taliea forces. These invasions however cemented a lasting animosity between the Taliea and their neighbours, which is thought to have greatly contributed to the outbreak of war later in their reign. Hostility and lynching Due to their maltreatment of civilians, hostility against the Taliea Clan grew steadily during their fifty-year reign. This trend was especially strong in the peripheral areas of the territory, which had been hit most hardly by the Taliea treatment. This came to a high in 1362 BC, when a female clan members visiting the village of Malt ac Lu in the northwestern part of the territory was lynched by an angry mob by tied up and brought to the centre of the village, where she was then beheaded. This served as a clear message for both the Taliea Clan itself as well as all surrounding clans, proving to them that hostility amongst the native population had run to such a high that an invasion into Taliea territory would enjoy broad support. Notes and references Category:An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine during the Era of Clans